Roslyn McLeod’s Japanese Language Passion Sets Up a Lifetime Career

By Joyce DiMascio, Arinex

It would be hard to list many Australian business leaders who have been at the helm of a company for 50 years.

But Arinex founder, Roslyn McLeod OAM, has done just that. In the five decades since her tour guiding business started at the kitchen table with her Mum’s help, she has both witnessed and been a major architect of Australia’s visitor economy growth.

Firstly, as a Japanese interpreter, then tour guiding and ultimately a major organiser of business meetings and exhibitions.

Outstanding commercial acumen, passion and professionalism are what she is best known for – and big doses of discreet and well-articulated advocacy at times when the business events sector was desperate for recognition and support.

She spoke with Joyce DiMascio about the historic milestone –and passing the baton to the new owner, CEO Nicole Walker.

It’s a marvellous Australian story which deserves to be celebrated.

Roslyn McLeod OAM has always been one to speak up. She commands respect and admiration the world-over for this quality.

Half a century after starting her business she has a lot to be proud of, especially as the company is now on a new trajectory under new owner, Nicole Walker.

In corporate Australia – in sectors like mining and agriculture - celebrating a 50th anniversary would easily make it into the Financial Review and mainstream media.

But as this achievement is in business events, it may go unnoticed outside the community of peers in the sector. All the more reason to shine the light on one of most important pioneers of tourism and business events in Australia.

A connector and networker

The consummate networker, Roslyn McLeod has invested heavily in nurturing relationships and working not only in her own business – but contributing to a multitude of peak bodies.

They included roles on the board of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), IAPCO, INCON, Meetings Industry Association of Australia (MEA) and also Business Events Council of Australia (BECA).

BECA Chairman, Dr Leo Jago OAM, says after a half century in business events, few have her sectoral knowledge and wisdom.

“Although she is quietly spoken, when she does speak, everyone listens,” he said.

“Throughout her time as a Director of BECA, Roslyn was a driver of the need for the many business event related organisations to collaborate for the benefit of the sector and to speak with one voice.”

Committee work started early

Stepping up to collaborating on committees is in her DNA and it started way back as a student leader in the Rotary youth movement called the Interact Club.

While at Bankstown Girls High School in 1965, Roslyn became Interact’s first president. She learnt a lot from those days –about organising people, working together and also about connecting with the rest of the world. She was selected to be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student and after a year in Tokyo her world opened up.

Roslyn’s Japanese and English bilingual fluency was something unique and one which opened many doors. Her first jobs were possible because of this skill, at a time when Japanese inbound tourism and business ties were on a growth trajectory.

She attributes so much of her success to this.

“I believe it's been the grounding for me in everything I've done,” she said.

Appointed the first Japanese-speaking tour guide for the Australian Tourist Commission in 1970

Early years with Australian Tourist Commission

Executive General Manager, Commercial & Business Events Australia at Tourism Australia, Robin Mack, said the Arinex founder has been a trailblazer, and major contributor to the success of inbound tourism and business events for Australia.

“Her passion and love for the industry, as well as her country, are felt by everyone she meets, and I believe, is a key contributor to the success and longevity of Arinex,” he said.

“Roslyn, was even the first Japanese speaking tour guide for what was then the Australian Tourist Commission.” Robin Mack confirms.

1970s - Roslyn McLeod (centre) and team on the tour desk in the age of Ansett

Japanese visitors drive business start

And from her work assisting with groups her reputation grew and soon she began to operate a business in her own right.

“In 1971 Rotary came to Australia for its international convention - there were 1,000 Japanese participants and I was asked to organise the tour guides. I recruited and trained them and started my business while also escorting for the Australian Tourist Commission,” she said.

In the mid-70s her business scaled up as the boom in Japanese tourism took off.

She says hers was the first company to charter a vessel specifically for Japanese visitors on New Year’s Eve from fellow pioneer, Captain Trevor Howarth, founder of Captain Cook Cruises.

“We were the only boat out there. That was an important first – we were the first to do that,” she said.

From a focus on Japanese tour guiding, other countries also began to emerge as strong markets for Australian tourism.

“I opened my first Sydney office in 1973. The first staff member was Japanese. We then also moved into the German market - providing German speaking tour escorts. That was the beginning of multilingual as opposed to bilingual tour guide services.”

The Conference market becomes a focus

But Roslyn had developed an interest in the conference market. It was 1976 when she decided to become an international conference specialist and the enormous professionalisation of conferences began.

Roslyn and her team travelled the world sourcing opportunities and cultivating the relationships in order to convince organising committees to entrusting their events to Arinex and to Australia.

“I really enjoyed the collaboration and partnership of the conference committees that we worked with.

“It enabled us to work with some of the most eminent people in Australia, putting together programs and satisfying the international delegates - constantly improving the quality of their experiences,” she said.

Things were small in the beginning but Tour Hosts and later Arinex grew strongly – weathering many ups and downs, including the Pilots’ Dispute, SARS, the GFC and, most recently, the COVID pandemic.

Arinex (then Tour Hosts) team at Corroboree 2000

The company was also involved in many major events including the Festival of Sydney, the Bicentennial, and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. They were exciting times she says – when Australia was coming into its own on the world stage.

The company was at its biggest in 2012, when as Tour Hosts it employed 127 people and delivered 65 conferences in that year alone. They were also the times when Governments

began to recognise the power of business events to ignite the economy, and Roslyn’s role in advocating for the industry was at its peak.

Her drive comes from the joy of getting things done.

“I thrive on achievement,” she says emphatically.

International reputation flourishes

Roslyn McLeod has been omnipresent internationally over recent decades – a constant presence at international business events expos and also supporting the work of associations.

Angela Guillemet, Executive Director INCON’ said Roslyn has been an incredible asset to the international meetings industry.

“She has always been at the forefront of exploring innovations and new ways of doing things ensuring the industry stays competitive.”

Geoff Donaghy, CEO, ICC Sydney and Group Director, Convention Centres, ASM Global (APAC) also a veteran of the business events industry, holds Roslyn in the highest regard.

He says she has been instrumental in shaping the business events industry across the globe over five decades.

“I’ve worked with Roslyn in many roles and positions across much of this time and experienced and enjoyed first-hand her passion and advocacy for the industry as well as her commitment to service excellence.” Geoff Donaghy said.

Supporting women

But she has also had a big impact in helping to create opportunities for women to have enduring careers in business events providing rewarding, flexible and empowering roles.

She is very proud of this. With a tradition of hiring only women in the first three decades of the business –Roslyn says the work they did was the passport to their economic independence.

“It was interesting to see how our jobs enabled women to get their independence. I had wonderful people that came through Tour Hosts and Arinex – that has been inspiring. And I learned so much from them. They've always been my greatest teachers,” she said.

A remarkable story with legacies

For Roslyn McLeod the development of high standards for the industry – and delivering work with integrity were key legacies.

“We managed to manoeuvre through the minefields and have lots of successes – it’s the integrity of what we did and raising the standards in the tours, in the technology and event operations.”

She is generous with her praise and gratitude especially for the support of her family and also for the loyalty and skills of her staff. She singles out her husband, Angelo and mother Beth McLeod who backed her for the first 12 years, her sister Lorraine for 25 years of working in the business and her assistant, Bridget who has assisted her for 22 years.

Passing the baton to one of her own “feels wonderful” she says. To be able to see the company’s future in the hands of a staff member who, over eight years, learnt the business and is now poised to see Arinex transition into its second half-century.

Roslyn McLeod handed the reins to Arinex' current managing director, Nicole Walker (left) in 2021

“Nicole has been amazingly resilient, amazingly patient. I am extremely lucky. She has wonderful attributes to lead the business into the future,” she said.

Roslyn receives The Federal Minister's Special Award Austrlaian Tourism Awards 1997

A formidable force, industry pioneer and leader

Roslyn McLeod’s story at the helm of one of Australia’s best known professional conference organisers (PCO) mirrors the history of Australian tourism and the business events industry.

The Arinex 50th anniversary celebration in May 2023 is a fitting time to recognise the achievements of its founder.

She has contributed to the greater good of the industry through a wide range of roles on the national and international stage – generously devoting time to help build a strong and well recognised industry. She has been an ambassador at large for her company and Australia, and most deserving of the Order of Australia Medal bestowed on her in 1999.

Roslyn McLeod has been a formidable force, industry pioneer and leader – and Australia is indebted to her.

Roslyn receives The Federal Minister's Special Award Austrlaian Tourism Awards 1997